Connection set-up in a communication system

ABSTRACT

In a communication system a procedure is initiated to establish a communication connection for a user equipment. A data bearer may be established via one or more nodes of the communication system for the user equipment before the communication connection procedure is completed. An instruction is signalled to at least one of the nodes associated with the data bearer to prevent transportation of data to or from the user equipment using the data bearer. Based on the instruction, transportation of data to or from the user equipment is prevented until the communication connection establishment procedure has been completed. According to a further aspect, an indication is signalled to at least one of the nodes that the communication connection establishment procedure is completed. Charging record unit associated with charging of data transportation prior said completion are closed in response to the signal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to connection set-up procedures, and inparticular, but not exclusively, to call set-up in a communicationsystem capable of transporting data packets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different communication networks are known. Communication networkstypically operate in accordance with a given standard or specificationwhich sets out what the various elements of the network are permitted todo and how that should be achieved. For example, the standard orspecification may define whether the user, or more precisely, userequipment or terminal is provided with circuit switched or packetswitched service. The standard or specification may also define thecommunication protocols and/or parameters which shall be used for theconnection. In other words, the standards and/or specifications definethe “rules” on which the communication within a communication system canbe based on. Examples of the different standards and/or specificationsinclude, without limiting to these, specifications such as GSM (GlobalSystem for Mobile communications) or various GSM based systems (such asGPRS: General Packet Radio Service), AMPS (American Mobile PhoneSystem), DAMPS (Digital AMPS), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division MultipleAccess) or 3^(rd) generation UMTS (Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem), IMT 2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications 2000) and soon.

In a cellular communication system a base station serves mobile stationsor other user equipment (UE) via a wireless interface. Each of the cellsof the cellular system can be served by an appropriate transceiverapparatus. The wireless communication may be controlled by anappropriate radio access network controller. The access networkcontroller may be connected to and controlled by another controllerfacility that is typically in the core network side of the communicationsystem. An example of the core network controller is a serving GPRSsupport node (SGSN). The controller may be interconnected and there maybe one or more gateway nodes for connecting the cellular network toother communication networks. For example, the SGSN may be connected toa Gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) for connecting the mobile network tothe Internet and/or other packet switched networks.

In addition to transmitting data, the third generation telecommunicationsystems such as the UMTS enable also voice transmission over the packetdata connection, for example Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.So called PDP contexts can be used for the Internet Protocol (IP) basedtelephony. The term ‘PDP context’ typically refers to the part of thedata connection or data bearer that goes through the packet switchednetwork (e.g. the GPRS/UMTS network). The PDP context can be seen as alogical connection or “pipe” from the wireless station to the accesspoint of a gateway node, such as the GGSN, the access point being theconnection point between the packet switched network (e.g. GPRS/UMTSmobile network) and an external data network. The PDP context may alsobe referred to, instead of the term logical connection, as a logicalassociation between the access point and the user equipment (UE).

For example, in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call set-up in the3^(rd) generation UMTS networks, a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) contextwill have to be established before the actual call is established (i.e.before the phone starts alerting the user thereof) to ensure thatnecessary resources for the connection are available. However, theinventor has found that the reserved data bearer resources may enabletransmission of data on the PDP context while the phone is stillalerting the user thereof. This may occur e.g. since a PDP context canbe set up without restricting the use thereof in any way. Thus the usermay be able to have a full voice call or other data transmission alreadyduring the alerting time. This may be disadvantageous, at least from theoperators pint of view, as the alerting or ringing time is usually notcharged from the caller or receiver of a call. Therefore it could beadvantageous to have a possibility to either prevent the user fromsending data before the call is established or at least to be able todetect and gather information regarding data transmission during thecall set-up proceedings so that it is possible later on to determinewhether any charges have incurred during the call establishmentproceedings.

Instead of enabling this, the current call establishment procedures areadapted to optimise usage of resources. A possibility could be toproceed the call set-up procedure such that no radio bearer isestablished before the call set-up is completed. Another possibilitycould be that although the resources on the radio bearer may bepre-reserved, the resources cannot be used for data transmission untilthe connection set-up is completed.

However, these possibilities may have some drawbacks. One of thepossible drawbacks is long post-pickup delay. The radio bearer has to beeither modified or established after the incoming call is answered e.g.by picking the phone up. Furthermore, it may be that ring-back tonecannot be played by the network. If no radio bearer is established onthe side of the calling party while the phone alerts, then it may not bepossible for the network to play the ring-back tone (as is currently thecase e.g. in a GSM system). This means that the ring-back tone wouldhave to be generated by the phone itself. This may prevent the networkfrom using any network-specific ring-back tones. In addition,announcements cannot typically be played without prior establishment ofthe radio bearer. If an announcement has to be played by the network, itis typically necessary to establish/modify the radio bearer first. Thesimplest and most usual case where this applies is the busy signal, butthere are many other announcements which may be sent between the phoneand the network.

Not all wireless data communication system enable “pre-reservation” ofresources on the radio bearer. If the radio resources are not reservedor at least “pre-reserved” before the call is established, then it ispossible that the user attempts to answer the call e.g. by picking upthe phone, and then, if the attempt to establish the radio bearer fails,the call is dropped. This is a situation that should be avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention aim to address one or several ofthe above problems.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod in a communication system, the method comprising: initiating aprocedure for establishing a communication connection for a userequipment; establishing a data bearer for the user equipment; signallingan instruction to at least one node associated with the data bearer toprevent transportation of data to or from the user equipment by means ofthe data bearer via said at least one node; and preventingtransportation of data to or from the user equipment until saidcommunication connection establishment procedure has been completed.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod in a communication system, comprising: initiating a procedure forestablishing a communication connection for a user equipment;establishing a data bearer for the user equipment; signalling anindication that the communication connection establishment procedure iscompleted; and in response to receiving said indication in a nodeassociated with the data bearer, closing charging record meansassociated with charging of data transportation on the data bearer priorsaid completion of the communication connection establishment procedure.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is providedan arrangement in a communication system, said communication systemproviding communication services for user equipment, the arrangementcomprising: control means for initiating a procedure for establishing acommunication connection for a user equipment via the communicationsystem; a data bearer established for the user equipment via at leastone node of the communication system; control means for generating andsignalling an instruction to at least one node associated with the databearer, the instruction being adapted to indicate that transportation ofdata to or from the user equipment by means of the data bearer is to beprevented; and wherein said at least one node associated with the databearer is arranged to prevent transportation of data to or from the userequipment in response to said instruction signal.

The embodiments of the invention may provide a solution for detectingand/or avoiding improper usage of data bearers during call set-upprocedures. The embodiments may be especially useful in connection withcalls to be transported over a packet data communication media. Theembodiments may be used to ensure that resources are available alreadyduring the alerting stage. The embodiment may assist in providing asubstantially short delay after an incoming call has been picked up i.e.answered. The network may be enabled to play announcements thatassociate with an incoming communication.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For better understanding of the present invention, reference will now bemade by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a communication system wherein the embodiments of thepresent invention may be employed; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of one embodiment ofthe present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made to FIG. 1 which shows a communication system in whichthe embodiments of the present invention may be employed. Moreparticularly, FIG. 1 shows some of the elements of a Universal MobileTelecommunication Services (UMTS) system.

Each cell (not shown) of the UMTS has associated therewith a basestation 6. Depending on the standard being used by the network, the basestation is sometimes referred to as node B, for example in the thirdgeneration standards. The term base station will be used in thisdocument to encompass all transceiver elements which are enabled tocommunicate with a mobile station 1 or similar user equipment (UE) viathe air interface. The mobile station 1 may be associated with aprocessor element 11 for the implementation of control operationrequired in some embodiments, as will be explained later.

The base station 6 is controlled by a radio network controller RNC 7.The radio network controller RNC and the base station may sometimes bereferred to as the radio network subsystem RNS 8 or radio access networkRAN. It should be appreciated that a UMTS network is typically providedwith more than one RNC, and that each radio network controller isarranged generally to control more than one base station 6 although onlyone base station is shown in FIG. 1. The elements of the RNS can beincluded in either or both of the RNC and the base station. This is animplementation issue.

The radio network subsystem 8 may be connected to a SGSN (serving GPRSsupport node) 14. The SGSN 14 keeps track of the mobile station'slocation and performs security functions and access control and otherpossible control operations. The functions of the SGSN are defined moreprecisely e.g. in the 3GPP specification 23.060. The SGSN 14 isconnected to a GGSN (gateway GPRS support node) 16. The GGSN 16 providesinterworking with external packet switched networks, i.e. the GGSN actsas a gateway between the UMTS data network 2 and an external network 3,such as an IP based data network. The functions of a typical GGSN arealso defined in the above referenced 3GPP specification.

FIG. 1 shows further a second UMTS network 4. The second UMTS networkmay be of a substantially similar design than the first UMTS network 2.The second UMTS network 4 serves a second user equipment 5. However, itshould be appreciated that a communication connection may as well beestablished between the user equipment 1 and another node connected tothe first UMTS network 2, e.g. between the two mobile stations incommunication with the base stations of the network 2.

Although not shown, the network system 2 may also be connected toconventional telecommunication networks, such as to a GSM based cellularpublic land mobile network (PLMN) or to a public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN). The various networks may be interconnected to each othervia appropriate interfaces and/or gateways.

The following describes with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiments thatenable prevention of unauthorised or improper data transmission toand/or from the user equipment 1 on a data bearer over a wirelessinterface. In accordance with the second aspect, some of the embodimentsenable detection of data transmission on the data bearer during the callconnection establishment procedures so that it is possible to determinethe nature of the data transmitted over the wireless interface. Thedescribed methods can be used either separately or in conjunction witheach other. The first embodiment may be used to prevent fraudulent orotherwise unauthorised usage of data bearers. The second method allowsthe detection of unauthorised usage of data bearers so that it can becharged later on, if this is deemed necessary.

The following examples assume that a PDP context with a full radiobearer is set up during a call set-up procedure. The following willdiscuss different possibilities how the user can be prevented fromsending data on this PDP context before the call connection is fullyestablished.

-   -   According to a possibility an appropriate indicator, such as        flag, can be set on the PDP context, said indicator instructing        the network elements (such as the RNC 7, SGSN 14, GGSN 16, or        any subset of these elements) to drop all data packets which        traverse this PDP context. In herein “data packets traversing a        PDP context” refers to those data packets which have been        classified into this PDP context by a data packet classifier        (not shown). The classification of the data packets may have        been accomplished according to so called Traffic Flow Template        (TFT) filtering mechanism. The data packets may experience a        quality of service (QoS) associated with it. The PDP context can        be imagined as a “data pipe” with a certain size, the size        representing the QoS. The distribution of the packets into        different pipes is based on the TFT parameters. Thus data        packets “traversing” a PDP context can be understood as those        data packets which go through this “data pipe” associated with        the particular PDP context.

The instruction indicator can be set e.g. by the Call State ControlFunction (CSCF) 18 by signalling to the GGSN through a Policy ControlFunction (PCF) 19. The “Policy Control Function” of a communicationnetwork is typically connected both to the CSCF and the gateway node,thus enabling communication between both of these elements. Otherconnections may also be provided, but they are not shown for claritypurposes.

Alternatively the flag or other indicator may be set by the userequipment (UE) 1. The procedure for setting the instructive indicator onthe PDP context may be controlled by the processor 11. In thisembodiment some applications may require that the presence of the flagor other indicator is to be enforced by the CSCF 18 through the PCF 19.The instruction needs to be removed later when the call is establishedeither based on further instructions from the CSCF/PCF or by a PDPcontext modification procedure or some other procedure to ensure thatthe data packets are not dropped after the completion of the voice callestablishment procedure.

The above embodiment has the advantage that data packets coming from theuser equipment UE 1 may already be dropped at the radio networkcontroller (RNC) 7 and the packets do not travel through the wholenetwork before being dropped at the gateway node 16. However, thisoption may require additional signalling to the SGSN 14 and RNC 7 toremove the flag later. Therefore, a preferred option is to drop the datapackets at the gateway node 16.

According to another possibility at least one of the nodes ion the databearer are instructed by means of a Traffic Flow Template (TFT). Theinstructions may be given by means of the Traffic Flow Template (TFT)parameters both for the downlink and uplink direction. The instructionmay be given by setting a parameter of the TFT in the PDP context to avalue that does not allow for sending data packets. The TFT can bedefined as a set of filters which contain information about the datapackets which are expected for each PDP context. The information may bee.g. source/destination port numbers, protocol number, IPv6 flow labeland so on. The TFT allows the nodes such as the GGSN to classify theincoming packets into a proper PDP context. Packets which do not match aTFT are discarded. An example of a TFT value that may be used herein isa non-existent IP address. An example of such address is ‘0.0.0.0’.Another possibility is to use the IP addresses of the gateway node's owninterfaces. All data packets which do not match a TFT are dropped in theGGSN. If a non-existing IP address is used, all data packets to thisaddress would be dropped.

An example for a packet filter associated to a PDP context is:

Source address: 100.101.102.103 Source port: 12345 Destination port:23456

That means that all packets coming from that source address with theseport numbers in the header would go into the associated PDP context andreceive the QoS which is associated with this PDP context.

The TFT value may be set by the CSCF/PCF. The TFT value mayalternatively be set by the user equipment (UE) 1 and enforced by theCSCF/PCF. The TFT value would have to be changed later when the call isestablished. The change of the value may be controlled by the CSCF/PCFor by a PDP context modification procedure.

This embodiment has an advantage in that it is possible to modify theTFT very quickly at the gateway node 16 by the CSCF/PCF, e.g. if it isnecessary to play an announcement. The communication network may beprovided with a server which is arranged to play tones and announcementsto the mobile stations. It is possible that the downlink TFT canindicate this server from the moment the PDP context is established. Theserver may have an IP address. This IP address could be used as sourceaddress in the TFT for the downlink direction.

In the preferred embodiment signalling is required only to the gatewaynode 16 to modify the TFT, although in some application it may benecessary to modify the TFT in the user equipment (UE) 1 as well.However, it is possible that the user equipment 1 remains unaware ofthis procedure accomplished in the gateway node 16.

The above embodiment are directed against improper or fraudulent use ofthe data transmission capacity during the call establishment procedures.The following will discuss embodiments that do not stop such a use, butby means of which it is possible to detect such a use and bill, ifnecessary the user of the use of the data transmission resources. It isalso possible to stop only a portion of the unauthorised use whileallowing predetermined type of data or predetermined amount of data tobe transmitted over the data bearer.

According to an embodiment the gateway node GGSN 16 and core networkcontroller SGSN 14 create charging records 17 and 16, respectively, forPDP contexts. The charging records may contain required charginginformation such as timestamps and octet counts. The informationcollected in these records is transmitted to a billing center (BC) 20.

Based on the charging records the network operator is enabled todetermine if the user was using a PDP context for sending data while thephone was in the alerting state e.g. ringing, vibrating or otherwiseindicating an incoming call, by provision of clearly separated charginginformation regarding the alerting stage and the actual call state. Inother words, information may be collected for the ringing time that isclearly separated from the actual charging information collected for thecalling time. For this purpose, the charging records in GGSN and SGSNare “closed” when the call is established and new charging records are“opened” for the actual calling time.

This allows the operator to determine later on if the user has beensending data over this PDP context while the phone was alerting. Thismay be determined e.g. based on detecting that the uplink octet countfor the ringing-time charging records is greater than zero or any otherpredetermined value, such as one. If announcements are played or aringback tone is generated by the network, the octet count would beincreased. However, the operator may distinguish announcements fromactual abuse since that the announcements are typically sent only indownlink direction. In addition, the number of octets transferred forcertain announcements (especially for ringback tones or busy signals) istypically known by the operator. It is also considered as unlikely thatthe bearer will be abused in the downlink direction while anannouncement is being played.

Instead of a charging record for the duration of the pre-completioncharging record and another charging record for the connection time, thecharging (before and/or after the completion of the connection set-up)may be based on a set of charging records. This may be the case e.g. inthe gateway node GGSN 16, since it may create charging records e.g.every 5 seconds.

The mechanism described above requires that the GGSN and SGSN areinformed of the fact that the call was established by means of anappropriate indication so that they can appropriately handle thecharging records. This information may be provided to the GGSN and SGSNe.g. by the user equipment (UE) or the call state control function(CSCF).

The UE may send a “Modify PDP Context Request” message with a flag orother indication that is set to indicate that all current chargingrecords have to be closed. The CSCF may be arranged to send anotification to the GGSN to inform that the call has been establishedwhere after the gateway node may close its current charging record. Theinformation can be passed on from the GGSN to the SGSN, although this isnot always necessary. It may be enough to have the proper charginginformation in the GGSN. This would decrease the time needed for theprocedure, especially when compared with the use of flags or otherindicators in a message originated from the user equipment.

The user equipment originated call establishment indication may alsorequire synchronisation between charging records of the call statecontrol function 18 and the gateway node 16, if the call state controlfunction also creates charging records indicating the time when a callconnection was established. Otherwise it may be difficult later todetermine if the user equipment 1 requested the PDP context modificationat the right time. In the CSCF originated charging record closure andopening procedure the notification can be used for the synchronisation,and thus it is not necessary to provide any specific synchronisationprocedures between these two functions.

The above described embodiments provide several advantages. For example,they enable minimum post-pickup delay after the call is answered. Theembodiments allow fraud detection and/or fraud prevention. Theembodiments may be used to ensure that resources are available when theuser equipment alerts the user thereof. Ringback tone and otherannouncements can be played by the network elements. The embodiments canbe easily implemented in the existing systems. In addition, theembodiments enable restrictions to the call charging so that databearers may not be charged at predefined times, e.g. for the sending ofcall-set up related messages during call set-up proceedings.

It should be appreciated that whilst embodiments of the presentinvention have been described in relation to mobile stations,embodiments of the present invention are applicable to any othersuitable type of user equipment.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in thecontext of a UMTS system (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service)and communications involving packet data. However, it should beappreciated that embodiments of the present invention are applicable toany other communication system which deals with data transmission ondata bearers.

It is also noted herein that while the above describes exemplifyingembodiments of the invention, there are several variations andmodifications which may be made to the disclosed solution withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention as defined in theappended claims.

1. A method, comprising: initiating a communication connectionestablishment procedure for a user equipment; establishing a data bearerconfigured to transport packet data for the user equipment; andsignaling, by at least one of a controller and a processor, aninstruction to at least one node associated with the data bearer toprevent transportation of packet data to and from the user equipmentusing the established data bearer via said at least one node until saidcommunication connection establishment procedure has been completed;wherein the instruction to the at least one node associated with thedata bearer to prevent transportation of packet data causes the at leastone node associated with the data bearer to drop at least some datapackets transported by the data bearer via the at least one node untilthe communication connection procedure has been completed.
 2. A methodas claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one node associated with thedata bearer is instructed to drop all data packets that are transportedby the data bearer via said at least one node.
 3. A method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein at least one node associated with the data bearer isinstructed to drop selected data packets that are transported by thedata bearer via said at least one node.
 4. A method as claimed in claim1, wherein the instruction is signalled from the user equipment.
 5. Amethod as claimed in claim 4, wherein the instruction is enforced by acall state control function of the communication system.
 6. A method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the instruction is signalled from a callstate control function of the communication system.
 7. A method asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: signalling an indicatorindicative of said instruction in a packet data protocol contextassociated with the data bearer.
 8. A method as claimed in claim 7,wherein the indicator comprises a flag.
 9. A method as claimed in claim1, wherein the instruction comprises a filtering parameter for the databearer, said filtering parameter being set such that all or selecteddata packets are filtered from the data bearer.
 10. A method as claimedin claim 9, wherein the filtering parameter comprises a traffic flowtemplate parameter.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein thefiltering parameter is set by the user equipment.
 12. A method asclaimed in claim 9, wherein the filtering parameter is controlled by acall state control function of the communication system.
 13. A method asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: signalling a further instructionto cancel said instruction to prevent the data transportation.
 14. Amethod as claimed in claim 13, wherein the further instruction issignalled from the same source and using the same media as saidinstruction to prevent the data transportation.
 15. A method as claimedin claim 1, wherein at least a part of the data bearer is establishedover a wireless interface between the user equipment and a transceivernode of the communication system.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the prevention of transmission of data occurs at least in one ofthe following nodes of the communication system: a radio networkcontroller, a core network controller, and a gateway.
 17. A method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a thirdgeneration cellular mobile communication network.
 18. A method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the data bearer is established between theuser equipment and a gateway node between two communication networks,said user equipment being in communication with one of the two networks.19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication connectionis for voice communication over a packet data network.
 20. A method asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining if any data wastransported on the established data bearer before completion of thecommunication connection establishment procedure.
 21. A method asclaimed in claim 20, wherein charging information associated withcharges until the completion of the call establishment procedures isseparated from charging information associated with the establishedcommunication connection.
 22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein afirst charging record or a first set of charging records is assigned forthe charges until the completion of the call establishment proceduresand a second charging record or a set of charging records is assignedfor the charging information associated with the establishedcommunication connection, and wherein the first record or set of recordsis closed in response to a signal indicative of the completion of thecall establishment procedure.
 23. A method as claimed in claim 20,further comprising: analyzing whether any chargeable data transmissionoccurred before the completion of the communication establishmentprocedure.
 24. A method, comprising: receiving, in a node associatedwith an established data bearer configured to transport packet data, anindication that a communication connection establishment procedure for auser equipment is completed; in response to receiving said indication inthe node associated with the data bearer, closing a charging recordassociated with charging of packet data transportation on the databearer prior to said completion of the communication connectionestablishment procedure; and dropping by the node associated with theestablished data bearer, prior to receiving the indication that thecommunication connection establishment procedure for the user equipmentis completed, at least some data packets transported by the data bearervia the node.
 25. A method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:opening of further charging record in response to receiving saidindication, wherein said further charging record is configured to storeinformation associated with charges after the establishment procedurehas been completed.
 26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein thecharging record and the further charging record both comprise a set ofrecords.
 27. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the indicationoriginates from the user equipment.
 28. A method as claimed in claim 24,wherein the indication comprises a notification from a call statecontrol function of the communication system.
 29. A method as claimed inclaim 24, further comprising: analyzing whether any chargeable datatransmission occurred on the data bearer before the completion of thecommunication establishment procedure.
 30. A method as claimed in claim24, wherein the indication is included in a message requestingmodification of a packet data protocol context.
 31. A method as claimedin claim 30, wherein the indication comprises a flag.
 32. A method asclaimed in claim 24, further comprising: receiving, in at least one nodeassociated with the data bearer, an instruction signal to preventtransportation of data to and from the user equipment using the databearer via said at least one node; and in response to the instructionsignal, preventing transportation of data to and from the user equipmentuntil said communication connection establishment procedure has beencompleted.
 33. An apparatus, comprising: a controller configured toinitiate a communication connection establishment procedure for a userequipment via a communication system, wherein the controller isconfigured to establish a data bearer configured to transport packetdata for the user equipment via at least one node of the communicationsystem, and wherein the controller is configured to generate and signalan instruction to at least one node associated with the data bearer, theinstruction configured to indicate that transportation of packet data toand from the user equipment using the established data bearer is to beprevented until said communication connection establishment procedurehas been completed; wherein the instruction to the at least one nodeassociated with the data bearer to indicate that transportation ofpacket data to and from the user equipment using the established databearer is to be prevented causes the at least one node associated withthe data bearer to drop at least some data packets transported by thedata bearer via the at least one node until the communication connectionprocedure has been completed.
 34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 33,wherein the controller is configured to generate and signal a secondinstruction to enable the data transportation.
 35. An apparatus,comprising: initiating means for initiating a procedure for establishinga communication connection for a user equipment via the communicationsystem; establishing means for establishing a data bearer configured totransport packet data for the user equipment via at least one node of acommunication system; and controlling means for generating andsignalling an instruction to at least one node associated with the databearer, the instruction configured to indicate that transportation ofpacket data to and from the user equipment using the established databearer is to be prevented until said communication connectionestablishment procedure has been completed; wherein the instruction tothe at least one node associated with the data bearer to preventtransportation of packet data causes the at least one node associatedwith the data bearer to drop at least some data packets transported bythe data bearer via the at least one node until the communicationconnection procedure has been completed.
 36. A method, comprising:receiving, in at least one node associated with an established databearer configured to transport packet data for a user equipment, aninstruction signal to prevent transportation of packet data to and fromthe user equipment using the data bearer via said at least one nodeduring a communication connection establishment procedure; and inresponse to the instruction signal, preventing transportation of data toand from the user equipment until the communication connectionestablishment procedure has been completed; wherein preventingtransportation of the data to and from the user equipment comprisesdropping at least some data packets that are transported by the databearer via said at least one node in response to the instruction signaluntil the communication connection procedure has been completed.
 37. Themethod as claimed in claim 36, further comprising: in response to theinstruction signal, dropping all data packets that are transported bythe data bearer via said at least one node.
 38. The method as claimed inclaim 36, further comprising: in response to the instruction signal,dropping selected data packets that are transported by the data bearervia said at least one node.
 39. An apparatus, comprising: a receiverconfigured to receive, in at least one node associated with anestablished data bearer configured to transport packet data for a userequipment, an instruction signal to prevent transportation of packetdata to and from the user equipment using the data bearer during acommunication connection establishment procedure; and a controllerconfigured to prevent transportation of data to and from the userequipment in response to said instruction signal until the communicationconnection establishment procedure has been completed; wherein thecontroller configured to prevent transportation of the data to and fromthe user equipment in response to said instruction signal is configuredto drop at least some data packets that are transported by the databearer via said at least one node in response to the instruction signal.40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 39, wherein the controller isconfigured to drop all data packets that are transported by the databearer via said at least one node in response to the instruction signal.41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 39, wherein the controller isconfigured to drop selected data packets that are transported by thedata bearer via said at least one node in response to the instructionsignal.
 42. An apparatus, comprising: a receiver configured to receive,in a node associated with an established data bearer configured totransport packet data, an indication that a communication connectionestablishment procedure for a user equipment is completed; and acontroller configured to close a charging record associated withcharging of packet data transportation on the established data bearer inresponse to receiving said indication in the node associated with thedata bearer prior to said completion of the communication connectionestablishment procedure; wherein the node is configured to drop, priorto receiving the indication that a communication connectionestablishment procedure for the user equipment is completed, at leastsome data packets transported by the data bearer via the node.
 43. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein the controller is configuredto open a further charging record in response to receiving saidindication, wherein said further charging record is configured to storeinformation associated with charges after the establishment procedurehas been completed.
 44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 42, whereinthe controller is configured to analyze whether any chargeable datatransmission occurred on the data bearer before the completion of thecommunication establishment procedure.
 45. An apparatus, comprising:receiving means for receiving, in a node associated with an establisheddata bearer configured to transport packet data, an indication that acommunication connection establishment procedure for a user equipment iscompleted; and controlling means for closing a charging recordassociated with charging of packet data transportation on theestablished data bearer in response to receiving said indication in thenode associated with the data bearer prior to said completion of thecommunication connection establishment procedure; wherein the node isconfigured to drop, prior to receiving the indication that acommunication connection establishment procedure for the user equipmentis completed, at least some data packets transported by the data bearervia the node.
 46. An apparatus, comprising: receiving means forreceiving, in at least one node associated with an established databearer configured to transport packet data for a user equipment, aninstruction signal to prevent transportation of data to and from theuser equipment using the data bearer via said at least one node during acommunication connection establishment procedure; and controlling meansfor preventing transportation of packet data to and from the userequipment in response to the instruction signal until the communicationconnection establishment procedure has been completed; wherein thecontrolling means for preventing transportation of the packet data toand from the user equipment in response to said instruction signal isconfigured for dropping at least some data packets that are transportedby the data bearer via said at least one node in response to theinstruction signal.